Time for a change I think

[Will Poon]

I've been at this clay shooting for about 2 years now and I'm still enjoying it like it was the first day I used a shotgun. I've learnt alot from other shooters and being taught by Brian Clegg.

My question is I've always used 1/4 and 1/2 chokes for every sporting target and it does the job nicely, however I want to be better at placing the shot and giving the clay a cleaner kill if that makes sense so I'm thinking of 1/2 and 3/4. Yes I know it's a tighter pattern but it's very satisfying that seeing the clay turn into dust rather than into big pieces.

I suppose this question is targeted to seasoned shooters that may have done this when they first started clay shooting

[BlaserF3]

You miss clays now....you'll just miss more with tighter chokes

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Will the time to put your tight chokes in is when practicing, if you can hit the long birds with 3/4 and Full the kills will give you more confidence.

 

If you get this working in practice, then move on to a registered competition, see how it goes, good luck.

[HDAV]

As with every choke question........ Have you patterned them? What's carts? Try mixing the carts as well as the chokes, for sporting throwing 7.5 at everything through half or 1/4 will kill most but using 9's through 1/4 for closer stuff and 7.5 through 3/4 for longer makes a difference if you can read the target properly......

[Will Poon]

I'm without my sporter at the moment as it's being reblued so I've been using my high rib trap gun for some sporting, it's really set up for DTL so the kill rate isn't as high as my sporter in a sporting layout, but some of the long range birds I've been very impressed with the kills as it's fixed at 1/2 and 3/4 .

Edited March 18, 2014 by Willpoon

[dr. lecter]

your probably a better shot than me , most are however there just aint a majic wand or formula out there , having said that try all chokes and shell combinations its not illegal . my mate used to shoot three quarter/ full at esp and was in A class he decided to have his gun multi choked £500 later he finished up in B class , its a minefield .

[Will Poon]

My sporter is already a multichoke so it's not a problem to tighten the restriction up. It's just that I'm one of those shooters that will always stick with one type of choke size for a certain discipline.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

My sporter is already a multichoke so it's not a problem to tighten the restriction up. It's just that I'm one of those shooters that will always stick with one type of choke size for a certain discipline.

 

 

Why?

 

On Registered Sporting the range can vary immensely!

[Will Poon]

I use a tighter choke on my top barrel so if need be I'll use my barrel selector to its full advantage .

[dashman1]

Agree with BLaser

[Azzurri]

Will, just to do your head in a bit more ask your coach what he'd think to having say 1/2 & 1/2 in both barrels ?

 

See if he smiles when he answers your question ;-)

 

 

Azzurri.

[Westward]

A lot of people shooting registered sporting just screw in ½ & ½ and leave them there. Spend a day reffing at a registered shoot and you'll find less than about 5% change chokes, even for very close targets, and those that do change seem to do it on almost every stand.

 

There was a test done in America (of course!) which demonstrated that patternwise, a ½ choke is as good as or better than ¼ after about 25 yards and surprisingly, better than full choke past about 40 yards.

 

Seriously, how often is the target less than 25 yards at a proper sporting shoot?

[Old farrier]

Hi

Strongly sugest you try full and extra full

For a couple of rounds

If its dust you want to see

If its a score you want go back to 1/4 in both

All the best

Of

O what gun you shooting I may have a full I can lend you for the charity shoot

[Will Poon]

Will, just to do your head in a bit more ask your coach what he'd think to having say 1/2 & 1/2 in both barrels ?

See if he smiles when he answers your question ;-)

Azzurri.

Hi

Strongly sugest you try full and extra full

For a couple of rounds

If its dust you want to see

If its a score you want go back to 1/4 in both

All the best

Of

O what gun you shooting I may have a full I can lend you for the charity shoot

Thanks Azzurri I've pm'd the big guy

Old farrier thanks for the offer but I've got a full set of teague chokes for my P gun

Edited March 18, 2014 by Willpoon

[Guest cookoff013]

Try full / full.

[100milesaway]

I tend to be pretty nifty on rangy stuff and i only put 3/4 in if the clay is 65 yards out on its edge or being forced to use fibre wads.. Honest you really don't need anything tighter. from Auntie.

[Old farrier]

Hi

Just trying to handicap northern team

It's all just fun shoot what gives you confidence and pleasure

All the best

Of

[pontbeck]

Been AA class for a long time, never going to win the class but that doesn't faze me and for all that time 1/4 & 1/2

Put them in and forget about them, too much concern about about chokes IMO

[beretta]

Do you want scores or balls of dust will. At your stage of shooting I would go for scores until the zero's on your card can be counted by fingers and toe's everytime. 1/4s and 1/2s in any combination will do most things.

[Mungler]

I used to go into a competition with a bag containing 7.5's, 8's and 9's and a choke set. I would also do the choke changing between stands and mix cartridges up - for example a fast DTL type out-goer followed by an overhead in coming, would mean a 7.5 in the bottom barrel with at least half choke and 9's in the top barrel with skeet chokes.

 

It just added to the stress and you never got a clear mind to shoot the targets - I was still thinking if I had the right combination of cartridges in the right barrels with the right chokes for the right targets.

 

I now shoot everything with 3/8 in both barrels and it works a treat.

 

I didn't believe that different chokes pattern differently but they do - the extended brilley chokes I have now pattern really well and the breaks are consistent and easy to measure.

 

Without faffing and fussing I relax and just get round with less stress.

 

I'd recommend 3/8th all day - best of all worlds.

Edited March 18, 2014 by Mungler

[Will Poon]

I think I'll try 1/2 and 1/2 and see how it goes, I did like the fact that whilst using tighter chokes lately I could see what part of the clay was breaking off so that would confirm slightly more of less lead or slightly under or over the bird .

[pontbeck]

I used to go into a competition with a bag containing 7.5's, 8's and 9's and a choke set. I would also do the choke changing between stands and mix cartridges up - for example a fast DTL type out-goer followed by an overhead in coming, would mean a 7.5 in the bottom barrel with at least half choke and 9's in the top barrel with skeet chokes.

 

It just added to the stress and you never got a clear mind to shoot the targets - I was still thinking if I had the right combination of cartridges in the right barrels with the right chokes for the right targets.

 

I now shoot everything with 3/8 in both barrels and it works a treat.

 

I didn't believe that different chokes pattern differently but they do - the extended brilley chokes I have now pattern really well and the breaks are consistent and easy to measure.

 

Without faffing and fussing I relax and just get round with less stress.

 

I'd recommend 3/8th all day - best of all worlds.

I agree 100%

When I started my shooting companion did that, changed chokes twice before shooting a stand and I copied him. It did my head in and I left 1/4 & 1/2 in and forgot about them and my scores got better and better.

[Northern Gunner]

I tend to be pretty nifty on rangy stuff and i only put 3/4 in if the clay is 65 yards out on its edge or being forced to use fibre wads.. Honest you really don't need anything tighter. from Auntie.

Get yourself down Marne tomorrow Auntie with your skeet chokes and have a go on the compact. I've changed the sporting layout from Sunday as well and have a different 60 birder set up.

I will be down in the afternoon after I have had Dad to hospital armed with my 3/4 chokes lol. 110 entries on Sunday by the way!!

[Mungler]

I think I'll try 1/2 and 1/2 and see how it goes, I did like the fact that whilst using tighter chokes lately I could see what part of the clay was breaking off so that would confirm slightly more of less lead or slightly under or over the bird .

 

Start with 3/8 x 2, leave them alone, get used to the concept and if you need to go to 1/2 and 1/2.

 

Until you settle into it, you will miss some close stuff with 1/2 in, blame the choke as being too tight for close targets and then it'll get in your head and **** you right up

 

Also, find yourself one brand / type of cartridge, buy a pallet of them and stick with them. Don't change no matter how tempted.

 

My other classic cock up was treating myself to a bag of bitch mutha high brass uber expensives for competitions and then not hitting a thing because the cartridge was completely and utterly different from what I was used to and practiced at.

Edited March 18, 2014 by Mungler

[100milesaway]

I remmember being late to shoot the British Open Sportrap, and driving up to the first layout in a cloud of dust, I shot 19/25 on the first layout and 21/25 on the second. Having had time to get my breath back and realising my kills were very chippy, I checked my chokes and was horrified to descover I didn't have any in at all. So 40ex 50 on some very edgy rangy clays was an eye opener for me. Fortunatly I hadn't damaged the threads and tightened up for the last 2 layouts. from Auntie.